Lowe's Kobalt 18-in-1 Torx Set ? Your thoughts , please ...

[HorserloverFat]

I have that Lowe's set. It's decent for the price. My only real complaint with it so far is that it doesn't stay snapped together very well, so if you carry it in a backpack or whatever, it tends to come apart. The driver is supposed to snap through those two handle holes and hold the whole thing folded shut, but it doesn't really stay in place.

The bits themselves seem fine, though.

I hope that these bits work as the Home Depot set really stripped a screw on my Manix 2. Thanks.

When a torx bit strips a screw, its most likely not an issue with the bit. (edit: That is probably too general of a statement. A cheap bit can indeed be the problem but I haven't experienced that with the Huskys or the Kobalts. Anyway...) Either the screws are too soft (never had this issue with Spyderco hardware), too much force is applied, or the wrong size bit is used. The last one can happen with torx screws because sometimes the bit that is one size too small can be used but it will almost certainly strip the screw. I always check to make sure i'm using the largest bit that the screw head will accept.

I will say that I saw that one you have in the store and elected to pass on it. Looks to me like that thin handle would be more difficult to apply even pressure to. I would probably go ahead and get the one you are looking at as it looks to be more user friendly. Just remember, when dealing with small torx screws, "If it won't go; force it" is a poor mantra. :D

Yeah, I was a bit hasty (I made a pun ! LOL) when I tried to adjust my Manix 2. I don't currently own a soldering iron. Do you recommend applying heat with a hair dryer in order to loosen the Loctite first ?

BTW Have you heard about Mary Lee ?

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[HorserloverFat]

I have the 8 in 1 Husky set you linked and have not had any problems and I have taken many knives apart with it. I really like it. Sorry you had problems with it but it has performed well for me.

Maybe it's just operator error. LOL. I will be more careful next time. Thanks.

[HorserloverFat]

Not sure which version I have but it has a bunch of bits in a gray handle. You have to really pay attention to how well each bit fits before you use them because some will seem like they fit but are slightly too small. The best fit will have almost no wiggle room. My advice has always been buy the highest quality bits you can find. Pay more now and save yourself the hassle of stripped screws later. I also mark the bits I use most with a sharpie so I don't accidentally use the wrong bit.

Thanks, Mr. D.

[HorserloverFat]

Wiha 79242 set.. 10 bit set.. T5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.. Super fit and quality.. John :)

On Sale on their web site.. $10.98..

Do you happen to know the shipping cost for this item , John ?

[HorserloverFat]

I use bit drivers made in Germany by a company named Wiha. They are hardened, precision bits that are superior to anything you'll find in an American big-box hardware store. I highly recommend them. I also use Wiha bits to take apart other things that require precision tools, like Rolex, Omega and high-end Japanese watches.

I hope that you don't open the cases. And be careful not to magnetize the movement. Thanks for the recommendation.

[bearfacedkiller]

If the corners of the bits are rounded you can sand the bit down a little and really square the teeth up on old or cheap bits. Sand them down as if you were using the bit as an eraser on a pencil to erase something, if that makes sense. Just keep the bit perpendicular to the sandpaper and it should come out ok. You can really increase the bite that the bit has this way in my experience.

[jimmyjohnjohn]

I hope that you don't open the cases. And be careful not to magnetize the movement. Thanks for the recommendation.

Sure thing. The Wihas are great. I use them on all kinds of stuff. So far I've not stripped anything with them.

Right, I don't open the cases on these. So far I've only used the Wihas for removing and resizing bracelets with screws and torx heads. I have a 7-pound degausser for any that get magnetized. :)

[N. Brian Huegel]

Wiha is the only way to go. http://www.wihatools.com/pro_microbits.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"The Price Is Soon Forgotten but the Quality Will Remain."

“Good equipment ain’t cheap, and cheap equipment ain’t good.”

“Pay lots, cry once. Pay little, cry twice.”

“It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money … that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the things it was bought to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot … it cannot be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.” ~ John Ruskin

[JNewell]

I have half a dozen of the Husky Torx sets linked above and they are extremely high quality, which is surprising for the price and source. They fit very well and are very hard. As with any product, including knives, there can be problems with a production run and that is probably what happened to you with that set.

[DougC-3]

This has already been said a couple of times, but I think it bears repeating. People frequently write the forum complaining about screw heads stripping and always blaming it on faulty screws. It is usually because the bit is too small. Don't rely totally on the size number on the bit -- make sure the bit fits snugly in the hole and goes in deep enough, and you'll probably never strip a screw head. A size 6 or 8 by one company won't always be the exact same size as one from another company. That's why you frequently save time and money by starting out with a reliable maker like Wiha. But don't throw away any off-size bits -- you may have some off-standard screws that they'll fit perfectly :)

I have a couple of sets of Kobalt torx bits from Lowes, and they appear to be hardened pretty well, but I also got a Wiha kit from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... =wiha+torx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Amazon has a pretty good assortment of Wiha stuff. The 10 piece bit selector kit I bought comes in a plastic box with a slide-out holder and a an extension for a handle but not the handle itself. However the box has a hex hole in the end which allows you to use the box itself as a handle in a pinch. You don't have to buy an expensive Wiha handle -- just hang onto your Kobalt handle or whatever other type you may have -- it'll probably work fine unless it's for one of the kits with small holes. Also sometimes you'll need two handles and duplicate bits to work with screws which have the same size head on both sides of the knife. I've accumulated three different handles from Lowes that all work well and it's handy to have your most used bit sizes in handles and ready to go.

[mattman]

I have been using the Husky set linked above for several years, with no issues. I have at least three of them around, and they are all fine.

I also own a Wiha set that stays with the cell phone repair tool kit, and I have no qualms whatsoever reaching for the Husky set, when tuning.